Tire.



E. A. SAUNDERS.

TIRE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 0, 9H.

1,%3,1 H Patented 0ct.16,1917.

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TIRE.

APPLICATlON FILED NW 10. 1914.

Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

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' 531 M 6mm EMMETT A. SAUNDERS, OF Ii/IISHAWAKA, INDIANA,

A CORPORATIO ASSIGNOR TO M N OF IVIIOHIGAN.

TIRE.

To all whom it may concern. Be it known that I, EMMETT A. SAUNDERS, acitizen of the United States, residing in Mishawaka, county of St.Joseph, State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Tires, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact disclosure;

This invention relates to tires and has for an object to provide a tirein which the pneumatic member is supported wholly by the cover or tread,and has no. connection whatever with the rim, whereby thepneumaticmember has no function of driving or braking the vehicle.

A further object, is to provide a tire including a rim and a floatingring thereon the respeccarrying a pneumatic member,

fluctuating tive centers of the rim and ring with respect to each otherduring rolling contact of the tire with the ground, whereby shocks andjars are absorbed without deleterious effects on the tire.

It is customary to attach the pneumatic member of a tire rigidly to therim, and as a result of this construction the pneumatic tire mustperform a driving and braking function, shocks and jars upon the tireare communicated direct to the rim, and the fabric of the pneumaticmember soon becomes destroyed due to the cracks appearing on the sidesthereof near the rim.

To obviate these disadvantages, the pneumatic member with its attachedcomparatively rigid ring to float free upon the rim, by means of a coverattached to the rim, there existing a clearance space entirely aroundthe rim underneath the ring, into which space the ring and pneumaticmember move bodily as a unit in a direction radially, transversely, orin various angular directions intermediate the radial and transverse,when the tire is under compression.

The invention can readily be understood from the following description,reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a tire constructed inaccordance with my invention;

Figs. 2 and 3, are fragmentary cross-sectional views showing variousmodified forms of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, 11 designates a channeled rim which mayconstitute a felly, although there may be a felly independent I supportSpecification of Letters Patent.

7 but it may be of any Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

Application filed July 10, 1914. Serial No. 850,150.

of this rim, the rim being designed to be secured in any preferredmanner to a wheel having a hub, and spokes of the usual or any preferredconstruction.

Surrounding this rim is a substantially inextensible or coi'nparativelyrigid flanged ring 12 of metal, wood, rubber, or other suitablematerial, which floats loosely on the rim, that is, it has no connectionwhatever with the rim, the channel of therim constituting a clearancespace which exists entirely around the rim underneath the ring. The ringcarries a pneumatic member 13 which may be simply a pneumatic tube, butpreferably consists of a laminated fabric carcass secured at the base tothe ring, within which carcass is confined an inflatable inner tube 14which is equipped with the usual valve 15. The valve is protected by ahousing 16 which sinks into a Well 17 radially formed in the rim wherebythe valve may be easily reached when it is desired to inflate or testthe pressure of the pneumatic member.

The pneumatic member with its attached ring is supported by a tire treador cover 18 which is secured at the side edges to the rim by clamp rings19, or by any other usual or preferred devices, the inflation of thepneumatic member holding the cover taut,

The cover in the present embodiment is shown as of laminated cloth andrubber,

other preferred construction, it being simply necessary that the coverhave sufficient strength and flexibility to perform its function ofsupporting the pneumatic member with its attached ring uponthe rim.

In operation, the pneumatic member with its attached ring will move as aunit bodily into and out of the channel of the rim in a directionradially, transversely, or in various angular directions intermediatethe radial and transverse, when the tire is under compression. Or inother words, the center of the ring will fluctuate around the center ofthe rim in taking up the compressing waves upon the tire, so that shocksand jars upon the tire are not communicated to the rim. Furthermore,this relative bodily movement of the pneumatic member and at tached ringin respect to the rim promotes less distortion to the pneumatic memberthan usual when an obstruction is encountered, thereby diminishing theusual severe flexing of the sides of the pneumatic member near the base,so that the formation of cracksis-obviated and consequently thelong lifeof the tire is promoted.

In the modification shown in Fig. 2, I have shown the rim 20 and haveshown one side of the rim removably secured in place by bolts 21 tofacilitate application and removal of the pneumatic member. Thepneumatic member, tire cover, and their component parts are constructedidentical in this modification with the like parts shown in Fig. 1, andabove described, and operate in the same manner, and for brevity arenumbered identical therewith. In this instance L lso, the channel of therim constitutes a clearance space extending around the rim underneaththe ring of the pneumatic member to accommodate relative bodily movementof the ring and rim, as above described. I

In the modification shown in Fig. 3, the rim 29 is of the quickdemountable type employing interfitting flanges 30 which are removablysecured in place as shown at 31. The cover 32, in this instance, isprovided at the base with ineXtensible rings 33 which are confinedagainstlateral displacement by the flanges 30. The pneumatic member andits component parts are of the same construction as shown in Fig. 1, andfor brevity, are numbered identical therewith. In this instance alsothere exists a clearance space around the rim underneath the ring of thepneumatic member to accommodate bodily movement of the ring andpneumatic member as a unit when the tire is under compression, as abovedescribed.

While I have described and illustrated several forms of the invention, Ido not deeply channeled limit myself to the eXact forms shown, since theinvention in its broadest-aspect contemplates the provision of a tire inwhich the pneumatic member has no connection whatever with the rim,there existing a clearance space entirely around the rim underneath thepneumatic member to accommodate bodily movement of the pneumatic memberrelatively to the rim when the tire is under compression. V p

The ring may be an integral part of the pneumatic member, or thepneumatic membermay be so braced or stiffened as to perform the desiredfunctions. I also contemplate to so stifien the pneumatic member bymeans of wires, hooks, etc. formed in the tire carcass itself, orperhaps even by certain fabric construction, that no separate ring wouldbe necessary.

Having described ,my invention, what I claim and desire to protect; byLetters Patent is: I

The combination of a rim,a flanged ring surrounding and spaced from therim, a tire carcass secured at the edges to the ring, an inner tube insaid carcass, an inflating valve for the inner tube, there being aradially disposed well in the rim permitting access to the valve, a.housing for the valve adapted to sink into said well and protect thevalve, and a cover for the carcass secured at the edges to therim.

Signed Katy Berlin, Germany, day of June, 1914:.

EMMETT .A. SAUNDERS.

lVitnesses HENRY HAsrnR, WVOLDEMAR HAUPT.

this 25th Copies 01. this patent may be obtained'for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

\ Washington, ID. 0.

